Stroller and carseat questions

[Wills Mom]

Can anyone please explain how I would go about bringing a stroller for DS on our flight? Do I check it with our bags or how does it work? And does it cost anything to bring it? We're flying with Virgin from Dublin with a stopover in Gatwick.
Also, I won't be bringing a carseat for DS, we were going to rent one from the car hire company (which is Budget) Does anyone know how this works and if its the right way to go? Thanks a million

 

[luke]

For the stroller, I believe you can take it to the gate before checking it in, but I could be wrong

 

[Netty]

As Luke says you keep stroller until boarding .the staff take it. For Car seats they are handed in with luggage. I have read over the yrs that the car hire companies own car seats are quite grubby .this may have changed though.

 

[Netty]

Forgot to say that taking stroller and car seat is free and not part of your luggage allowance.

 

[orangetiggs]

With virgin both last year and year before i had to use one of the twins luggage allowance to take one car seat, the double stroller and one car seat was free but its does say stroller or car seat free of charge. Most check in staff wont charge you for it though and if you are under with hour bags it just counts towards that

 

[chmurf]

You're flying indirect so there is a catch previous posters did not mention

you have 2 options for checking your stroller

First you can check it as a piece of luggage, at the same time that you check your suitcases. Airlines do have protective bags (that don't protect anything actually) and your stroller is checked to your final destination (typically counts towards your baggage allowance, but you need to check with your airline's policy)

Pro : you don't need to worry about your stroller until you're in florida.
Con : It might get damaged because bags do get abused. If you need to transfer at Gatwick, you won't have the stroller for the child

Then you have the gate check option.

Walk up to the boarding gate with your stroller, and just before boarding inform a gate attendant that you need to gate check a stroller.

The gate attendant will put a tag on your stroller and give you a stub.

When it's your turn to board the plane, walk up the jetway (the covered tunnel leading to the plane's door) with the stroller and just before the door you'll need to fold your stroller (lock it if it can lock in the closed position, or secure it, do not leave anything loose or that could detach and get lost) drop it with the other strollers (if any) or ask an attendant for the correct spot to drop it, and just board the plane

Your stroller will be taken and put into the hold.

At each stop, you'll need to collect your stroller on the jetway (there is usually a door with stairs leading down on the taxiway, strollers are usually next to that door)

use your stroller to go to the next gate, remove the gate check tag and repeat the previous steps (get a gate check tag, leave stroller on jetway, collect upon arrival)

This solution is more secure for your stroller (fewer chance it gets lost or damaged)

 

[Elise79]

Further to what others have said I would take my own seat just be aware that babies under one have to be rear facing by law in FL. (sorry wasn't sure how old your DS is going to be)

Also you will need to have the stroller tagged at check in and you can then take it to the gate and leave before boarding the plane. Once you get to MCO they will be returned near the luggage carousels after immigration. I do not know about the first leg as we only do LGW to MCO.

 

[catherine]

Forgot to say that taking stroller and car seat is free and not part of your luggage allowance.

With Virgin you can take either a stroller or a car seat free of charge. If you want to take both you either have to check one in with your luggage as part of your luggage allowance or pay for an extra bag. I think the extra charge is £32 if you pay it before you get to the airport. We're trying to decide what to do as we need both!

 

[Wills Mom]

Thanks everyone for replying! I'll have to think about the car seat - I don't think I like the idea of checking it with our other luggage and having the staff throwing it around like they do the bags! If thats the case I might be best off renting one over there. I don't know what to do!
The stroller is an easier decision by far! I'd say we'll gate check it. Seems to be the way to go!
Thanks again guys, really appreciate it! Its a whole new ball game planning to go with an infant!! Didn't realise it was going to be such a mine field!

 

[Netty]

With Virgin you can take either a stroller or a car seat free of charge. If you want to take both you either have to check one in with your luggage as part of your luggage allowance or pay for an extra bag. I think the extra charge is £32 if you pay it before you get to the airport. We're trying to decide what to do as we need both!

2 yrs ago with virgin atlantic we took two car seats and one double stroller free. 2 kids.has it/ must of changed since then.

 

[Elise79]

Thanks everyone for replying! I'll have to think about the car seat - I don't think I like the idea of checking it with our other luggage and having the staff throwing it around like they do the bags! If thats the case I might be best off renting one over there. I don't know what to do!
The stroller is an easier decision by far! I'd say we'll gate check it. Seems to be the way to go!
Thanks again guys, really appreciate it! Its a whole new ball game planning to go with an infant!! Didn't realise it was going to be such a mine field!

We have always checked our car sear in - it goes to over sized baggage and handled manually (doesn't go down the luggage belts). We have never noticed any damage on the bag.

I am much happier taking our own as I know how to fit it in the car. The car hire staff are not allowed to fit rented seats and I wouldn't want to fit a seat I wasn't familiar with.

 

[Wills Mom]

We have always checked our car sear in - it goes to over sized baggage and handled manually (doesn't go down the luggage belts). We have never noticed any damage on the bag.

I am much happier taking our own as I know how to fit it in the car. The car hire staff are not allowed to fit rented seats and I wouldn't want to fit a seat I wasn't familiar with.

Can I just ask you, how heavy is your car seat? Ours is really really heavy and bulky. I'm just wondering if it would be ok bringing it! I might ring them and see how it would work seeing as we're going Dublin to Gatwick and then onto MCO!

 

[robinb]

How old is your child? He or she may be more comfortable in their car seat on the flight so bringing it makes both the airplane trip and the car rides more comfortable. I dont think i would want to use Budget's car seat. I have seen the rental car sears and they are nasty! We used to carry our car seat through the airport on an An old fashioned foldable luggage cart. We would just bungie it on the cart and go.

 

[T16GEM]

We have traveled to Orlando 5 times with our children since the youngest was 11 months old, we have always taken a full size car seat and stroller for each of them.

I would never rent a car seat from the hire car company - my two main reasons for this are:-

1.Imagine the scenario, you've just arrived in Florida, you are tired, kids are tired, you are now going to fit an unfamiliar car seat into an unfamiliar vehicle, how do you know it's fitted correctly? I'm not sure I would trust the people working in the parking garage to know that it's done right, your own seat is familiar to you, you'll fit it properly and know that your child is safe.

2. The car seats that I have seen in the parking garage for hire are the most grubby, stinky looking things you have ever seen, apart from them (possibly) being dirty you won't know the history of the seat, it may have been damaged and is still being rented?

We have always used the big plastic bags that the airlines provide and then they ask you to go to the oversized baggage area in the airport with them, this way they don't go through the airport on the conveyor belts so they don't get bashed that way.

We have never been charged any extra for them either.

As Elise79 said you need to make sure that you get your stroller checked at check in but don't hand it over until you are ready to board. Sometimes they come off and are waiting in the tunnel where you get off the plane - other times they are in the baggage hall, I would always ask the crew on the flight what they usually do as every airline is different.

HTH
Gems

 

[Wills Mom]

How old is your child? He or she may be more comfortable in their car seat on the flight so bringing it makes both the airplane trip and the car rides more comfortable. I dont think i would want to use Budget's car seat. I have seen the rental car sears and they are nasty! We used to carry our car seat through the airport on an An old fashioned foldable luggage cart. We would just bungie it on the cart and go.

He will be 14 months old but we didnt buy him his own seat so the carseat isnt an option for that part of the journey. I'm definitely leaning towards bringing my own now!

 

[Wills Mom]

We have traveled to Orlando 5 times with our children since the youngest was 11 months old, we have always taken a full size car seat and stroller for each of them.

I would never rent a car seat from the hire car company - my two main reasons for this are:-

1.Imagine the scenario, you've just arrived in Florida, you are tired, kids are tired, you are now going to fit an unfamiliar car seat into an unfamiliar vehicle, how do you know it's fitted correctly? I'm not sure I would trust the people working in the parking garage to know that it's done right, your own seat is familiar to you, you'll fit it properly and know that your child is safe.

2. The car seats that I have seen in the parking garage for hire are the most grubby, stinky looking things you have ever seen, apart from them (possibly) being dirty you won't know the history of the seat, it may have been damaged and is still being rented?

We have always used the big plastic bags that the airlines provide and then they ask you to go to the oversized baggage area in the airport with them, this way they don't go through the airport on the conveyor belts so they don't get bashed that way.

We have never been charged any extra for them either.

As Elise79 said you need to make sure that you get your stroller checked at check in but don't hand it over until you are ready to board. Sometimes they come off and are waiting in the tunnel where you get off the plane - other times they are in the baggage hall, I would always ask the crew on the flight what they usually do as every airline is different.

HTH
Gems

Thank you for your very valueable input! Good points made there! As I said above I am leaning towards bringing my own, I'll just ring the Tour Operator and find out how it works for the first leg of the journey before deciding for certain!

 

[Elise79]

Can I just ask you, how heavy is your car seat? Ours is really really heavy and bulky. I'm just wondering if it would be ok bringing it! I might ring them and see how it would work seeing as we're going Dublin to Gatwick and then onto MCO!

We had the Britax First Class plus until last year when she moved to the high back booster. It is a very large heavy seat as it is a group 0+/1. We had it so DD could say rear facing much longer (in fact she was 16 months before she rode forwards).

Never had any trouble taking it on Virgin flights - yes it was a bit of a pain however it was worth the effort for her to be in a seat I was happy with.

 

[PJB71]

I have always just bought a carseat from Walmart for my DDs as they are really cheap.

 

[catherine]

I have always just bought a carseat from Walmart for my DDs as they are really cheap.

That's what we're thinking of doing or ordering one from Amazon and getting it delivered to OKW. I figure by the time we've paid Virgin £64 and bought a travel bag for the car seat, which cost around £20, it will be much cheaper to just buy one there!

 

[Wills Mom]

I have always just bought a carseat from Walmart for my DDs as they are really cheap.

Thats a good idea!! Do you know what kind of price range they are? The only issue I can see there would be how would we get from the airport to Walmart in the car without a car seat?